Braithwaite reiterates calls for Sovereign National Conference

•President presents book on activist-lawyer •Fashola demands special status for Lagos

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday asked President Goodluck Jonathan to accord Lagos a special status as the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and commercial nerve centre of the country.

He said the state had paid its dues in terms of contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), national productivity and Valued Added Tax (VAT), lamenting that successive administrations had ignored these contributions to national development and progress.

Fashola spoke at the launch of the edited version of the historic book: The Jurisprudence of the living oracles, written by foremost rights activist, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite in Lagos. The ceremony, which held at the Yard 158, Oregun, was organised to mark the 79th birthday of the consummate lawyer and pro-democracy crusader, who marched against the fuel subsidy removal on the Lagos streets in January. The book was reviewed by Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo of the University of Lagos, Akoka.

The celebrator, who was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Banwo, reiterated his call for national conference to discuss the contentious national issues germane to peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

Urging Nigerians to support President Jonathan to succeed, Braithwaite said: “This country will not disintegrate under the President’s watch. I sincerely believe that we will all have a national dialogue to solve our problems”.

Fashola, who spoke before the book, presentation complained that the Federal Government had refused to give Lagos a special status within the federation.

He said: “Mr. President, you owe us a debt, which your illustrious predecessors failed to discharge. Since you inherited the benefits, I must transfer the burden to you. Our state deserves a special status”.

President Jonathan replied that his administration would give the governor’s demand a serious thought because of the role of the state in national life.

He said: “When I was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State, somebody asked my brother, Admiral Porbeni, where do you live? He said he was living in three places; where they get the money, where they share the money and where they spend the money; that is Port-Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos.

“Mr. Lagos governor, we need to work together to develop all parts of the country. Lagos is important to us. No government can ignore Lagos. Between 50 and 52 per cent of the economy is controlled by Lagos, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Anything that impacts on Lagos will impact on Nigeria”.

President Jonathan congratulated Braithwaite, noting that he had dedicated his life to the promotion of law, justice and democracy as a lawyer, rights activist and politician.

He said: “In 1983, he ran for the presidency under NAP, promising to eliminate all rats and cockroaches. he vowed to move all the people in Mushin to Victoria Island and people in Victoria Island to Mushin. he was saying that he wanted to correct social imbalances and inequality. he is an apostle of transformation and change. At 79, he remains active and productive; he is a role model and father figure”

President Jonathan also praised Braithwaite for his belief that the law must serve the purpose of justice, urging the judiciary to learn from that virtue by paying attention to the social purpose of law and fighting corruption.

He said his administration would pay attention to the consolidation of the union, rule of law, democracy and dialogue for the resolution of conflicts.

Fashola congratulated Braithwaite, saying that his book, which he wrote in 1987, explained the importance of law and the route to justice.

He said his administration had been guided by divine laws in making laws for the good order and progress of the state, adding that the recent traffic law was not an exception.

The reviewer, Prof. Ninalowo, lauded the revised book, stressing that it projected Braithwaite’s feelings about the supremacy of justice.

Decrying all forms of injustice, he added: “Oil subsidy removal, N5,000 note should have been dropped because they were unjust. Countries of the world with similar challenges have held national conference and Nigeria cannot be an exception”.

Ninalowo berated corruption in high places, especially misappropriation of resources, adding that these vices have made Nigeria a failed state. He added: “Corruption exacerbates conditions of poverty and injustice and victims of injustice will always protest”.

Braithwaite asked Nigerians to support the President, who he said, would address the pressing problems of the country.

He stressed: “This is a President I believe should have all support. In have been invited by past Presidents, invited to be part of the government, but I declined. But this is a President we should all support. The only way we can administer the affairs of human beings is if we have the fear if God and love of fellow human beings.

“Last week, Democrats in United States decided to bring back God to their platform. we should fear God. You cannot avoid god and make progress”.